> > I'm trying to install 5.4 on an old ThinkPad 760EL and running into some > > trouble, probably due to how little RAM it has - 16 MB. > [...] > > I have read INSTALL.i386 and > > it says that I need at least 32 MB of RAM for 5.4. > [...] > > Apologies if there is something obvious I should be doing. > > The obvious thing you should do is to add more memory to this system. > The 5.4 i386 GENERIC kernel is huge and eats more than half the physical > memory, and then the data structures it creates aren't free. There is > basically no free memory for userland to run, and your system is > swap-bound, hence horribly slow, as you have noticed. > > Your available options are: > - run an old release, which fits in 16MB. I doubt anything >= 4.5 will > fit in 16MB, so you'd use a 5+ years old, unsupported, release. > - build a stripped-down kernel on another 5.4 system and run it on your > ThinkPad. This ought to work, but your kernel will not be supported, > so if it breaks, you get to keep both pieces. > - add more memory to your system. Really. It will help. Can't you see > your laptop looking at you with puppy dog eyes? > - get a beefier laptop. Anything with more memory will do.
I suggest against following this advice. Seriously, Miod saying add more momory? Clearly this is an imposter.
